Improvement in revolving fire-arms



A. E. WHITMORE.

REVOLVING FIRE-ARMS.

No.185, 881. Patented Jan. 2,1877.

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vi A3 ANDREW E. WHITMORE, OF IL ION, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT lhl REVQLVING FIREARMS.

p ification forming part of Letters Patent No- Il5,h, dated January 2, 1877; application filed October 11, 1876. c

To all whom it may concern.- axial pin a, the latter can be entirely wlthdrawn Be it known that I, ANDREW E. WHIT- from the cylinder by taking hold of the head MORE, of Ilion, in the county of Herkimer 12 of the extractor-pin a, and drawing it long 1- and State of New York, have invented certudinally out of its guide-tube d, as seen in tainImprovements in Revolving Fire-Arms,of Fig. 2. The cylinder is then tree to be rewhich the following is a full, clear, and exact moved from the frame, 'after which the empty description, reference being had to the ac shells can be forced outby applying the .cylcompanying drawings, making part of this inder to the extractor-pin 1n the usual manspecification, in which n r- Figure lis a longitudinal section through The extractor-pin, when pushed into its the center of a revolver constructed in acguide-tube d, is held securely, so as to prevent cordance with my invention, the cylinder bethe accidental dropping out of the cyhnder, by ng in place. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the a spring friction-catch, It, the resistance of: same, the cylinder and lock-plate being rewhich can be readily overcome by pulling on moved. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the the head of the extractor-pin, and as there line a: m of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an elevation of are no springs connected with the ax1al and the rear end of the cylinder. Fig. 5 is a transextractor pins the construction s greatly verse section on the line y g of Fig. 2. Fig. simplified, and the liability of gettlng out of 1s a perspective view of the stop-lever deorder, incident to this class of revolvers, pretachedviously referred to,) is materially duninls ed. My invention consists in a spring stop-le- By providing the axial pin a with an annu- Ver 0f peculiar construction for locking the Iar groove, 7, f0 the Projection b to fit i cylinder in its firing position, in combination the pin is free to revolve with the cylinder, in with a mechanism for raising it and releasing case it should adhere thereto. the cylinder, wherebyI am enabled to employ lhe recoil-plate D consists of a circular a stiffer spring than heretofore in connection disk, provided at its rear with'a central ratchwlth the stop-lever, and thus render its hold et-hub, t', which fits snugly within and passupon the cylinder more secure. es through a circular aperture in the frame To enable others skilled in the art to under- A. With this ratchet-hub engages a pawl, 70, stand and use my invention, I will proceed to pivoted to the hammer E, the movement of descrlbe the manner in which I have carried which effects the revolution of the recoil- 1t out. plate in a well-known manner, the rotation In thesaid drawings, Arepresents the frame of the recoil-plate being imparted to the cylot a revolver-pistol, to which is screwed the inder by a pin, l, which enters a recess, m, barrel B. Gas the chambered cylinder, which Fig. 4, in the cylinder. This recoil-plate is is fitted within a rectangular opening in the provided at its periphery with a series of l and is supported upon a long pin, a, notches, a, corresponding in number to those WhIFh Passes centrally through it. This pin of the chambers in the cylinder, the notches a slides through the front of the fr ame, and, allowing the pointed end of the hammer to after passing through the cylinder, projects pass into contact with the flanged ends of the Out beyond its rear end and enters an opening cartridges, the portion of the recoildate beat the center of a recoil-plate, 1), to be hcrctwcen the notches serving as a guard to prefg desfmbed; vent the hammer from striking a cartridge r0536 127 1 lshprgvlded w th an annular when it is not directly in line with the barrel. gendina il fi? W fits 1 projection, 11, ex- 0n the rear race of the recoil-plate, intermeslid g p cm e extractor-pin c, which dlate between the notches n, are acorrespondes in a tube or guide, 61, secured to and mg number of recesses, p, with which the groJtzctliig from the iront oi the frame A bepoint of the hammer engages, to hold the cyl inea 1the barrel B, the pin b be ng traversed inder iinmov ably out of the firing position,

a s o c, m the top of the tube d, and, by thus preventing any liability of the accidental hus connecting the extractor-pin with the discharge of the pistol. The recoil-plate remains permanently attached to the frame A after the removal of the cylinder 0, and by the use of this plate the friction heretofore produced between the flanged ends of the cartridges and a stationary recoil-plate is avoided. q is a stop-lever, made of springmetal, and let into the top of the frame A so as to lie flush therewith. This lever is attached at one end to the frame at 13, and is provided on its under side with a stop or projection,14.-, which is intended to catch successively into the recesses 15, formed in the outer surface of the cylinder 0, for the purpose of holding it properly in its firing position. The rear end of the lever g is provided with a slot, 8, for the passage of the point of the hammer, and is lifted to withdraw the stop 14 out of a recess, 15, and release the cylinder, to allow of itsbeing rotated to bring the next chamber in line with the barrel in the following manner: The free end of the leverg is bent down, as seen in Figs. 1 and 6, and is provided with a shoulder, 16, under which, when the hammer is down, projects the upper end of a lever, 1*, which is pivoted at itslower end to the hammer at 17, and fits into a long recess formed therein for its reception. The upper end of this lever r is provided with a slot, 18, through which passes a pin, 19, which limits its forward motion, a light spring, 20, being placed behind it, as seen in Fig. 1.

As the hammer is drawn back in the act of cooking, the lever '1' is raised, causing its upper front corner to bear against the shoulder recesses 15, the spring 20 r forward and keeping it under and in contact with the shoulder 16 until the pin 19 comes in contact with the rear portion of the lever outer surface of the the latter revolves it drops into one of a series of recesses, 22, therein, leaving the lever free to spring down and lock the cylinder in its firing position, the recesses 22 in the hub theing so arranged with respect to the recesses 15 of the cylinder, that one of the former, 22, will arrive beneath the projection 21 at the same instant that one of the recesses 15 is brought under the stop 14 of the lever q. On the descent of the hammer the front of the upper .end of the lever 7' strikes the lever q, causing the lever rto be forced back into its recess within the hammer against the resistance of the spring 20, and as soon as the upper cornerof the lever ris brought below the shoulder 16, the spring 20 instantly throws it forward thereunder into the position seen in Fig. 2, ready to again lift the lever q, as before described. The aforesaid lifting device is simple and effective, and by its use a stiffer spring may be employed in connection with the stoplever than heretofore, thus causing it to hold the cylinder more securely in its firing posi tion than heretofore. By the employment of the projection 21 in connection with the recesses 22 in the ratchet-hub z, the stop 14 is held up out of contact with the surface of the inder, as would occur ifthe stop 14 rested constantly on its surface.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- The lifting-lever 1', provided with a spring, 20, and pivoted to the hammer, in combination with the stop-lever q, having a shoulder, 16, operating sub tantially as and for the pur pose described.

Witness my hand this 5th day of October,

ANDREW E. WHITMORE. In presence of- P. E. TESOHEMAOHER, W. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

